Additional Resources

Books

Woman on the Edge of Time,
Marge Piercy
, New York, p.369 p., (1976)

Genetic modification of food and animals is one of the issues raised in Marge Piercy's novel about an inmate in a mental institution who travels forward in time to a Utopian society where everyone works, everyone eats, and men and women are so equal that men even get to nurse babies.

Reports

Long-awaited by partisans, this report does not lend weight to either side of the controversy; rather it specifies the future research necessary to determine whether genetically engineered food is safe or harmful.

Web Sites

Access Excellence: About Biotech,
National Health Museum
, (2007)

Want to learn what biomining is? Ever heard of Herman the Bull? Head over to this educational site run by the National Health Museum (and originally created by biotech giant Genentech), and find out different ways that companies are applying genetic technology to everything from livestock to orchids. Along with information on careers in biotech, you can find articles on bioethics and a good section on the history of biotechnology from 6000 BC to today.

The FAO, a United Nations organization which monitors and advises member countries about developments in biotechnology, provides a number of resources through their site.

Of particular interest are recommendations for international guidelines for safety assessment of foods and food components made by recombinant DNA methods.

Also, check out the glossary of biotechnology and genetic engineering; get overviews of biotechnology in crops, fisheries, or other sectors; follow some of the many links to outside sites; or participate in the FAO Electronic Forum on Biotechnology in Food and Agriculture.

The Council for Responsible Genetics (CRG) Web site covers scientific, medical and bioethical issues from the perspective of the organization's goals to promote public debate and to advocate for socially responsible use of new technologies. Tables of contents and selected articles are available on the site.